Superman Returns i750 Lenovo Music Phone June 25, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets , Mobile phones , Peripherals , Smartphones
Lenovo's partnered with Warner Brothers to put out a Superman Returns-themed music phone that actually looks halfway decent. The two companies also pulled out all the stops in this press conference, as you can see above. They really went above and beyond there.
|
|
Independence Day DecoDock June 25, 2006
READ MORE Digital Audio , Gadgets , Home Entertainment , Peripherals , Portable Media
Just in time for July 4th, this Independence Day DecoDock lets you think about our founding fathers and how they would have marveled at having 250 songs on something smaller than their hand. Either that, or laugh at the lack of a display.
Panasonic Joins Blu-ray Club With DMP-BD10 June 25, 2006
This backwards compatible (DVD/CD) Blu-ray player from Panasonic is going to run you about £750. That's 260% of the price of a Toshiba HD DVD player. Admittedly, Toshiba is losing £110 on each player sold, but even at around £350, that's a lot cheaper. Christian Slater's going to have to do a lot of voiceovers to convince people to shell out for this.
Here are some key features (according to them):
* Extraordinary Image -- Panasonic's proprietary P4HD technology performs IP conversion at the pixel level for the finest details. In addition the DMP-BD10 incorporates a 296MHz, 14bit Video D/A Converter that provides high quality 4x oversampling for 1080i/720p output. Noise shaping video processing shifts the noise component to an unused band to further boost the signal-to-noise ratio. Because of technologies like these, the DMP-BD10 can theoretically reproduce up to nearly 4400 billion colors.
* High Capacity - Blu-ray Discs provide five times more disc capacity than a standard DVD (25 GB* of storage on a single disc and up to 50 GB* on a double layer disc) providing more storage for high definition movies, TV shows, music concerts and other programming, plus additional space for other added-value content.
* Backward Capability -- Plays a variety of optical discs including DVDs and CDs and up-converts video playback from DVDs to 1080P, by using HDMI.
To go along with this player, Panasonic's selling a Blu-ray Disc Receiver for £550 and a home theatre speaker system for £1,750.
Yipee! – Jason Chen
PANASONIC ANNOUNCES DEBUT OF BLU-RAY DISC HIGH DEFINITION HOME THEATER SOLUTION [Panasonic via TechEBlog]
technology blu ray hd dvd tech
Alienware Shipping PCs With nVidia 7950 GX2 June 25, 2006
READ MORE Home Entertainment , PC
Do you hear that? It's the sound of graphics card queens everywhere jumping for joy with news that Alienware is set to ship two systems in the next few days featuring nVidia's latest graphics card beast, the 7950 GX2. Both the Area-51 7500 and the Aurora 7500 (pictured here) come with the nVidia card standard in addition to other components that you might expect to find in a boutique seller, like dual core AMD processors.
Cyclepod: Bicycle Storage June 25, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
We could all do with a few more bike riders and a few less car drivers here in the US.
Biking helps you exercise (great), save money (great), and frees up the roads for car drivers like us who make others ride bikes to lessen traffic (awesome).
To help cities deal with the increase in bikers, the Cyclepod allows 8 bikes to be store vertically in a small 2 meter diameter. A lot full of these could accommodate almost an order of magnitude more people than with autos. The Cyclepod also lets you lock both the frame and the front wheel to prevent theft, something bike riders are always worried about. – Jason Chen
[Cyclepods via Coolhunting]
DLO FlipFolio iPod nano Case June 25, 2006
READ MORE Portable Media
DLO has introduced their FlipFolio leather case for the iPod nano. What makes this iPod case so "flip"? Well it allows the user to flip the iPod for whichever way you want to wear it. So basically this feature allows the nano to be inserted right side up or upside down. Big deal? It includes a sewn in belt-clip that can be used to attach it to yourself, act as a money-clip or hold the handbills of your favorite hookers. It is available in black, white and hot pink (!!) and features "ultra-cool stitching" as DLO likes to put it. $25 and available now.
Product Page [Via MacMerc]
TwinMos PMP525: Supports Ogg Vorbis June 25, 2006
READ MORE Digital Audio , Gadgets , Home Entertainment , PDA , Portable Media
Just when you thought the PMP market was crowded enough, here comes the TwinMos PMP525. It's got a 2.5-inch screen with support of up to 4GB of compact flash—not bad. For audio formats, it plays MP3/WMA/OGG Vorbis and for video, MPEG1/2/4. The battery gets 4.5 hours of video playback time, which is enough for two movies and an episode of M*A*S*H.
Army Improves Tourniquet After 2000+ Years June 25, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
We all know how tourniquets work. You take off your tie and make a big fat knot just about where your friend's bloody stump is squirting buckets of blood, thereby saving him long enough so he can tell you "who did this to [him]! Who did this to [him]!"
Well, since the military doesn't wear ties, they've created the CAT, an improved tourniquet with a shorter learning curve and a cooler design. It uses a "windlass" to tighten the cable and can be operated with one hand, thereby allowing soldiers to do their own body work if necessary. – John Biggs
health gadgets medical army Military
Flaunt Your Wealth With The AMEX Butterfly Card June 25, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets , Peripherals
It's no Black Card, but it's still something you can whip it out to impress passersby. The American Express Butterfly Card is a standard credit card that's available to members of AMEX's Gold Card members. What makes it so special, what makes our hearts sing, is that it folds in half, letting you store it inside of a svelte, metallic case the size of a keychain.
The invisibleSHIELD Reviewed With A Key and a Motorola Q June 25, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets , Mobile phones , Peripherals
We've seen the invisibleSHIELD around here a couple of times, but are you confident in its protective power? Dave from Mobility Today is—he's got bigger huevos than us—and he put his money where his Q was by taking a key and trying to scratch up his brand new Motorola Q. The result, no damage whatsoever. Now you can feel safe with your £100 iPod Nano when the shield is strong enough protect a £250 smartphone. – Jason Chen
The invisibleSHIELD [Mobility Today]
Nintendo DS Gets Opera Browser On July 24 June 25, 2006
READ MORE Consoles , Gadgets , Games , Home Entertainment , Online , Software
Nintendo DS owners, circle this date on your calendar: July 24th. That's the date Opera is going to release a web browser for your beloved handheld gaming system. That is, if you're a resident of Japan—U.S. and Europe users don't have a set release date yet. Getting a nice DS web browser will go nicely between killing your boss on the 23rd and swimming to Korea on the 25th. – Jason Chen
Opera announces DS browser release date in Japan [Opera via Ubergizmo]
games consoles DS internet technology
Sandisk Rapid GX Increases PSP Data Transfer Rate June 25, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets , Laptops , PC , Peripherals , Portable Media , Storage
While the PSP's loading of UMD may be unmercifully slow, Sandisk is trying to improve Memory Stick Duo transfer with its Rapid GX Memory Stick Pro Duo. The Rapid GX includes Sandisk's MicroMate high-speed card reader, which—surprise!—increases transfer speeds to and from the PSP by as many as three times. That's almost five times as fast! Look for the Rapid GX sometime in July.
While you're at it, be sure to look for the increased storage capacity Memory Stick Duos that Sandisk is also launching. A 4GB Duo will set you back about $200. Still no word on the Rapid GX's price, however. – Nicholas Deleon
Gear Up Your PSP [GameSpot via Popgadget]
technology usb gadget Geek Tech storage
Jesus Saves: Jesus-Themed Adhesive Bandages June 25, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
Let the Good Lord heal your wicked wounds with these Jesus bandages from Archie McPhee. One box contains 15 bandages that were blessed by the Pope during a special "Bless This Mess" ceremony at the Vatican. Also in the box is a free toy!
As you can see in the picture, portraits of Our Lord and Savior, which look like they were lifted from every scene in The Da Vinci Code, grace each and every bandage. These "designer bandages" (would Jesus approve of his face being used to sell trinkets?) might not heal you any faster, but then again, did he ever think that people would be promoting his name in sports arena with rock music blaring?
In any event, you can grab these spiritually fulfilling bandages for $4.95 per tin. Be on the lookout for Archie McPhee-branded indulgences this fall.
Jesus Bandages [Archie McPhee via productdose.com]
Competition Winner: 3145 Miles Per Gallon June 25, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
We like to ooo and ahh over gadget-y cars like the Honda Civic Hybrid and Toyota Prius, especially when rumors swirl about turbocharged engines getting 100 miles per gallon. But then we saw this winner of the SAE Super Mileage Competition, a car which racked up a jaw-dropping 3145 miles per gallon. This is a particularly amazing feat, because it's nearly twice as efficient as its predecessor: the same Canadian team won the competition last year with a 1600mpg car.
Just think, this car could drive from New York to L.A. on a gallon of gas. Plus, it looks damn cool. I guess Canadians aren't that bad after all.
Stick Your Fossil Fuel, Eh? Canadian Students Build 3,145-mpg Car [Jalopnik]
Tower-ific Panasonic SB-TP1000 Home Theatre June 25, 2006
READ MORE Home Entertainment
Little boxy speakers are for the weak and feeble. Real men—and women—use massive, erect towers to pump out audio from all corners of the room. The Panasonic SB-TP1000 features two front speakers, four surround speakers and a subwoofer. Panasonic is also using their Twin Center Speaker technology that eliminates the need for a center audio channel. The downside? Yeah this system will set you back a solid 3 G's. It will be available for purchase in September.
Panasonic SB-TP1000 Home Theatre System [Newlaunches]
Ever Green Pink MP3 Player (For Girls, Naturally) June 25, 2006
READ MORE Gadgets
Yes, if it's pink it must be for girls. Take this portable MP3 player from Japan's Ever Green corporation. Going by the moniker of DN-2000, this SD card-based player includes no built-in memory whatsoever, making it necessary to separately purchase said SD cards. You can insert cards up to 1GB in size and then try to guess what MP3 is playing since there's no display to speak of. It's pretty much a bare bones device, powered by dreadfully old tech AAA batteries that should last up to five hours.
It's certainly small enough, measuring only 2.2 x 2.4 x 0.5-inches and weighs just over one ounce. So if small, near-crippled pink MP3 players are your bag, baby, then Ever Green's little player might just be a solid addition to your purse. Oh, and it's only about $9, give or take some cents, but it's Japan-only for now.
SD card MP3 player DN-2000 from Evergreen Corporation [Fareastgizmos]
Fearmongers: Cellphones Add to Lightning Death Risk June 25, 2006
READ MORE Mobile phones
British doctors warned cellphone users not to use their handsets outdoors during a thunderstorm, lest they be struck down by a bolt of lightning. Citing anecdotal evidence of a 15-year-old girl using a cellphone when she was struck, along with three other fatal cases of lightning striking cellphone talkers in China, South Korea and Malaysia, a spokesperson for the doctors stirred up fear of the almighty wrath of the lightning bolt:
"This rare phenomenon is a public health issue, and education is necessary to highlight the risk of using mobile phones outdoors during stormy weather to prevent future fatal consequences from lighting strike injuries."Apparently any metal object, including a cellphone, that's in contact with your skin as you're struck by lightning disrupts what's known as a flashover, where you're saved because the electricity passes over your skin on its way to the ground. So if you hear thunder, step away from the cellphone, folks—there's a 1-in-83,930 chance of being struck by lightning. However, be more afraid of a legal execution, where there's 1-in-58,618 chance of dying. But you can worry less about an asteroid impact, where you have only a 1-in-200,000 chance of being ground up into hamburger. Comforting thought.
Mobile phone users warned of lightning strike risk [Reuters]
- Blogroll
Editor | Martin Lynch
RSS Feed
